"NorNickel" Company Acknowledged that Daldikan River Got Red Because if Its Flows

ABNORMAL RAINS BECAME THE REASON FOR DALDYKAN RIVER CASE

In response to the reports made by local media on September 6th regarding changes in coloration of the Daldykan river, situated in Norilsk Industrial area, Nornickel declares:

Nornickel has investigated the reasons for temporary color change of Daldykan river located in Norilsk Industrial area. The investigation results:

In 2015-2016 the Company modernized tailings dam and tailings pipeline of hydrometallurgical shop of Nadezhda Metallurgical Plant (NMP). In the beginning of September fitting and assembling of the last section of pipeline was at the final stage. Before a pipe tie-in the standard work procedure requires to drain the whole pipeline with discharge of wash water into tailings dam. Cut-off dikes are in tie-in areas to prevent spreading of residual wash water. On the 5th of September after abnormal heavy rain (the area received approximately 50 percent of monthly average precipitation in rainfall in the course of 24 hours) the overflow of one of the dikes occurred, and water entered Daldykan river.

Short-term river color staining with iron salts presents no hazards for people and river fauna.
The Company undertakes all necessary actions to assess the areas with the biggest historical pollution and eliminate effects of the old tailings pipeline operation by sanitary stripping of the ground. Nornickel will put the most efforts to avoid such incidents in future.